A Key To Integrated Thinking: Pursuing Passions, Beyond The Workplace

Dominic Tancredi, CEO of Dom & Tom, has 14+ years of development experience including web, database, and interactive projects on both startup and enterprise projects, including 7+ years of mobile development experience on Android and iOS platforms. Dom is a craftsman at heart and is dedicated to maintaining the highest standards of quality in all of Dom & Tom’s work. Dom has given presentations on digital development innovations at multiple events including Pace University, AOL Ventures, Oculus Rift demonstrations with Downtown Alliance in Lower Manhattan, and more.

Thomas Tancredi, CFO of Dom & Tom, has 11+ years of experience coordinating creative and development teams, negotiating contracts, and project management. He holds a Masters in Finance from Baruch College, NYC. Tom is also a fervent entrepreneur, having personally invested in multiple start-up ventures in New York City, including John Brown’s Smokehouse, which was named Best BBQ in New York City in 2012 by the Village Voice. Tom has given presentations on digital culture at multiple events including Hearst, AOL Ventures, Tabula Rasa, and sat on multiple digital engagement panels.

Christopher P. Skroupa: The process of “integrated thinking” can have an elusive definition depending on the disciplines involved. How would you summarize the technique used in Dom & Tom processes?

Dominic Tancredi: I’ve found that the key to integrated thinking is being able to see the Big picture, with a capital B. It’s not just analyzing and executing on a given project, but considering every variable in, and related to, it. Personally, I’m always considering our customers, employees, competitors, capabilities, cost structures, even the layout of the whole digital landscape in the decisions I make as an executive. Customers appreciate that you’re approaching it as if you’re a key stakeholder within their organization. At Dom & Tom, when we approach our projects we begin every project by reminding ourselves to think holistically of the needs of the projects, the communication, the approach, and more. We make sure our entire team has visibility on each project, from both a user’s perspective and the business perspective, to reach the goals for the client. It really opens us up to strong collaboration.

Skroupa: Integrative thinkers differ from conventional thinkers in their ability to view the architecture of a problem as a whole and in relationship to its parts without simplification. What do you think are the skills or experiences needed to process information in that fashion?

Tom Tancredi: You have to have a teacher’s mind. The process of teaching is taking a big problem, breaking it down to understandable components, solving those portions, and then extrapolating that to the bigger scope. Then you need to communicate the solution clearly in a manner that’s palatable to an audience. Teachers do this in classrooms every day. In my opinion the best managers, leaders and problem-solvers are teachers.

Dominic Tancredi: I think my background as a developer has helped develop my integrated thinking. Advances in technology are happening at such a rapid pace, that to maintain an unbiased, holistic viewpoint is a challenge. The reward is a mental discipline that supports defining solution-sets and approaches from the needs of the businesses we work alongside. Coding certainly has a cadence that requires me to think in a particular fashion. I’m building upon the information behind me, while also anticipating what’s to come directly in front, all while also being aware of how the information is being processed as a whole.